Editorial
Benefitting from RTI Act
Still a long way to go
It seems we have not yet been able to make a steady start in terms of securing the citizens' right to information promised by the RTI Act. A survey report on stakeholders' perception on the functioning of the Information Commission in implementing the RTI Act 2009 reveals that 80% of the respondents hardly received any information within the stipulated 20-day period. Moreover, the information they received belatedly were of partial or vague nature.
The survey was conducted by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) encompassing some 45 representatives of the civil society and NGO's, journalists and Information officials. When such professionally well placed people face impediments in getting information where does this leave the fate of common citizens?
Three cogent opinions were expressed by majority of the respondents. First, leniency in penalizing the violators of the RTI Act discourages the people to seek information. Secondly, there is need for reducing the 20 days' requirement to furnish information to quicken the availability of information.
Last but not least the Information Commission will have to expand its activities in areas where Information can be considered a tool for ensuring accountability and transparency of public institutions.
It's a sad commentary on the state of implementation of RTI that officials assigned to public bodies such as those dealing with lands and electricity are lacking in co-operation largely 'due to fear of their seniors.'
Four years since the inception of the RTI law the progress of its implementation leaves room for both acceleration and qualitative improvement.
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